Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

As the Ceann Comhairle has indicated, that is outside the remit of this question. However, as a former Minister for Health, I am very proud of my association with the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland. I was glad to have been associated with ensuring that a team was trained in Newcastle-upon-Tyne at the time to ensure that a lung and heart transplant team could, inter alia, be made available in this country for cystic fibrosis sufferers. That procedure is available here now as a result of the priority I was in a position to afford it then, and working on the work of predecessors who were trying to move along that project at the time. I recall also attending an annual meeting of Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland in Kilkenny when I was Minister at which I had a long discussion with its representatives on those issues and was in a position to progress them.

On the specific matter regarding a national centre, I am glad to note that the beginning has happened in terms of nine beds being available. I cannot give an indication to the Deputy this morning what further progress can be made in that area but the availability of resources is now critical, as our previous discussion during Leaders' Questions confirmed. A question to the Minister for Health and Children on the up to date position would be the best way of imparting accurate and up to date information on that question.

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